Ten Essential Mounties of Instagram for 2017

Capturing our wild places is a legacy all adventurers share, and today it's easier than ever through social media. Instagram is an incredible place to find inspiration, meet new people, and connect with the world around us.

We launched our Mountaineers Instagram in November 2014, and created a Mountaineers hashtag that we felt captured the essence of who we are and where we play. Today, over 34,000 photos have been tagged with #OurPNW.

Each weekday, we take our favorite #OurPNW picture and share it with our community. We're humbled to see Instagram growing so quickly and being embraced by so many members of our community.

To celebrate this amazing community, we chose our favorite inspirational Mounties feeds we think you should follow in 2017. If you have the nonstop desire to be outside or if you're seeking inspiration for the New Year, check out these Ten Essential Mounties of Instagram to get your fix:

Brad gets outside. A lot. On a recent trip to Azurite Peak (at 8,440ft the 76th tallest in WA), he reached the top and thought, "Why the hell did I just climb up this god forsaken mound of scree and sand - and oh great now it's snowing". About the climb he said, "On the whole, the trip was a little over 30 miles with >10,000 cumulative elevation gain. I think I counted 11 blisters on my two feet. And on my last night, I woke up with a thick crust of ice around my sleeping bag and just decided to keep hiking instead of sleep more.... But somehow a week has gone by and all that pain seems inconsequential to the incredible views and spirit of adventure. Serious 'type 2 fun'." Follow Brad for more great tales and images like this.

Theresa can be found chasing snow all year round and has skied the last 74-consecutive months as part of Turns All Year, all while working full time. But just this week she announced she's taking a 'skibatical'. "I’ve always dreamed of quitting my job to ski full time. I’ve made excuses for years...but about a year ago I started to think it might actually be possible." And she made it happen. Follow Theresa for all the ski-porn you can handle.

Madeline has a knack for capturing the simple beauty of nature. She loves to photograph the fall and the fog and the sunny weather in the summer time, and she's the ultimate urban warrior. "I should get out for an actual hike and take some pictures of mountains...but I'm having so much fun hanging out in the city." Follow Madeline to view nature through the eyes of a city-dweller.

Just like her Instagram handle says, Kathleen really loves yoga and she loves to do it in our beautiful PNW. "In yoga, pushing towards your edge is good, but sometimes too good is no good. It's not always about reaching the final expression of a posture. It's about how you set yourself up for the posture. Alignment before depth. The same principle can be applied to daily life. It's not just about checking things off the To Do list and achieving lofty goals. It's about dreaming up goals and manifesting those ideas while living and enjoying the journey along the way." Follow Kathleen as she chases her goals and inspires you to discover your own.

Nick isn't long-winded in most of his posts, but he often shares inspirational quotes from the pioneers of yesterday. He's also full of wisdom like this: "Follow the path of your passions. Live deliberately and look back often to reflect and learn from the experiences that led you where you are today." Follow Nick to keep your feed full of surprises.

Maiza is a Brazilian climber who calls Washington home. For her, it's become a tradition to spend Christmas Day outside. She skied last year, but opted for something more low key this holiday. "I remember skiing my legs off last year, but we just wanted to enjoy friends and laugh when each other tripped on their snowshoes and face planted over and over again. The joy of life are in small things right?" She also recently tied the knot on the summit of Liberty Bell Peak. It was "a wedding to remember. Hours of climbing and we made to the top. With a messy hair and a puffy on top of my dress we said "I do". Very simple like life should be." Follow Maiza for more adventures and simple life lessons.

Ryan's posts are as informative as they are inspiring. This fall he went in search of larches. "What are larches? Although they’re conifers, they’re also deciduous trees and turn a brilliant shade of yellow for a few short weeks before losing their needle-like leaves. They’re special plants." Follow Ryan to learn, laugh, and smile.

Troy is a Tacoma Mountaineer who likes to capture the beauty of our natural world as well as the architecture supporting our daily lives. To refresh his soul, he recently hiked the Wonderland Trail. In his log from the trip he wrote, "Wonderland Trail Day 7: Mount Rainier and Little Tahoma near White River. I could't stop taking pictures. Beauty beyond words!" Follow Troy for more black and white beauties like this one.

Kevin is a man of many passions: you can find him hiking, climbing, skiing, paddling, swimming, riding, jumping, wading, and fighting for all people to be treated equally in the outdoors. Despite all of this, he's very humble. "Pushing your limits is important, but so is taking the time to have some "Type I" fun in the mountains: eating handfuls of berries along the way, chatting with some fellow members of @mountaineersorg, and watching your leader who is 3x your age kick ass on an 11 mile scramble." Follow Kevin for a daily dose of something different.

Andrew is a self described "anti-indoor photographer" whose first love is Koma Kulshan, aka Mount Baker. His captions feature poetic stories and ironic messages juxtaposing nature with popular culture. For the above photo he said, "If you're looking for the Wild Things, I know of at least one that can be found at Gold Creek Pond." Follow Andrew for all things wild and free.

Step up your photography game

The Mountaineers have been helping people get outside for over 100 years, and we've been teaching people to capture those outdoor memories for as long as we've had cameras. From black & white to landscape to perfecting mobile phone techniques, check out our photography courses to take your skills to the next level.

WANT TO BE FEATURED?

Add a comment with a link to your handle (if you're a member!) and we'll add you to our running tally for next year's top 10 list. Remember to use our #OurPNW tag on Instagram every day for a chance to be featured on The Mountaineers feed (whether you're a member or not).

Bonus!

Our staff and board members were really excited when we told them about this blog; then were devastated when we told them they were ineligible. The sad look on their faces was enough to convince us to reconsider, so if you're interested in getting to know our staff and board better, here are some bonus Instagrammers for you: